Johx f



tlniTnn aTaTns JOHNF. CLEF, OF

Hannoveraner in panas Speei'ieation forming part of Letters Patent h'o.

November lllaTnnT @Triton 4ULIUZE, dated November l5, 1864; antedated (i, 1564.

To @ZZ wiz/0m, it' may concern,.- l

Be it known that I, JOHN F. CLEU, of the city, county, and State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elonf gated Proj ectiles for Ordnance and Fire-Arms, and l do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereot', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specitication, in whiel1 .Figure lis a horizontal longitudinal view ot' an explosive projectile constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 isa central longitudia nal vertical section ol' the saine with the sabot l applied. Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe saine. Fig. et is a side view ol'the sabot. Fig.

is a side view of a projectile, illustrating` a slight modification of iny invention. Fig. 6 is a horizontal longitudinal View of the saine. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of' anotl1e1"1nodi fication ot' the projectile.

Similar letters ,ot' 4reference indicate like parts. i

The object of this invention is to increase the length ot' range and accuracy of" projectiles.

lt consists, first, in thereduction of the caliber of an elongated projectile toward the rear end in a flattened i'orm,which, in combination with, a pointed front end, gives it a form substantially likey that ot' a fish.

It consists, secondly,` in so ballasting or distributing the weight ot' an elongated projectile as to keepV a certain side ot'it always the lowest in its flight, thereby preventing' its rotation, and tending to keep its longitudinal center in line with or tangential to the trajectory.

` The projectile represented in Figs. l, 2, and 3 is of cylindricalA form for a short portion of its length between the lines a; (Shown in Figs. l and 2.) In front of this cylindrical portion it is of'nearly semi-spheroidal forni, slightly flattened at its sides, so that its vertical is greater than its horizontal diameter, and terminating nearly in a point, as shown at a, and in rear of the said cylinder portion it is tapered to the rear end, the taper being slight vertically, as shown at j j in F1' g. 2, but greater hori- Zontally, as shown at lc It' in Fig. l, the sides being nearly flat and resembling somewhat the tail of a fish, making the general l'orin o t' the proj ectile substantially that of a fish, by which forni the formation of' a vacnunibehind it and the resistance to its night is greatly reduced; but more especially when projected through water from a gun arranged below the surface. The projectile is also represented with longitudinal grooves b b, which have the ei'f'ect 0f preventing it from turning. This projectile is to be fitted with a sabot, A,whicl1 fits the bore ofthe gun, and is hollowed out in such amanner as to fit the taper exterior ot' the rear portion of the projectile. It is niade with shoulders c c, as shown in Fig. l, to serve as bear4 ings for portionsof' the sabot and enable the force evolved by the explosion of the charge ofthe gun to be more directly transmitted to it by the sabot. f

rlhe projectile represented in Figs. 5 and e' is like that represented in Figs. l, 2, and f5, except ,that it is furnished with fins de on its upper and lower sides, substantially like the dorsal and ventral fins oi' aiislnwhich tend to prevent its rotation and steady it in its flight.

Both ofthe above-described projectiles have their weight so distributed that their center ot' gravity,while in 1notion,coincides or is in the saine plane with its center ot'press'ure-thatis to say, its center of gravity is in a plane midway between the lines a. y, which where comes the center ot' pressure against the air or other resisting inediuin through which it is projected.

rlthe system of ballasting as applied to a hollow projectile is lillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the internal cavity, f, is represented as having-fan inward protuberance, g, from the lower side, which brings a greater portion of the weight below than above the longitudinal center of the mass and always keeps that side the lowest in the flight ofthe projectile, thereby keeping the flattened rear portion ofthe pro jcctilc always upright, and preventing it from rotating in its ilight. vThis system ot'ballasting. as well the distribution ot' weight which keeps the center ot' gravity in the plane ofthe center ol'pressure, tends to keep the longitudinal center ofthe projectile in line with or tangential to the trajectory. Both ot' these fea` tures are applicable to other t'orins of elongated projectile than that represented. Ina solid projectile l efl'ect the ballasting` by thc hollowingout ol the upper parts of the sides ot' the projectile, as shown at h h in the transverse section, Fig. 7, which is taken at the greatest diameter of the shot 'or between the lines a: y. rljhe lower part of the circumference of the projectile fits the lower partof thebore of the gun, which is represented by a dotted eircl e, and the Epper part hears against the upper part of the ore. f

Projectiles with the several improvements herein specified may he used in guns of smooth bore, or with straight mile-grooves.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

, l. The reduction of the size of an elongated l projectile toward the rear end in a more or less attened forni, substantially as and fonthe purpose herein specified.

2. So ballasting or distributing theweigiit of'ztn elongated projectile as to keep a, certain side of it always the lowest, substantially as herein .described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 7, for the purpose herein set forth.

JOHN F. CLEU.

Witnesses:

` HENRY MORRIS,

GEO. W. REED. 

